THE AUTOMATED WORKPLACE By Carolyn Rickard-Brideau Reprinted: CoreNet Global Hack-A-Thon, Team 4
FIVE IDEAS THAT WILL DRIVE AUTOMATION IN THE WORKPLACE The COVID-19 event will be a catalyst for change and fundamentally alter the way we design and manage the workplace. Looking beyond this crisis, the workplace of the future will leverage technology to provide a safer and smarter workplace while enhancing performance and experience. Automation developed as a response to COVID-19 will leverage existing technologies, result in more rapid adoption of these technologies and spur advances in cellular communication, Smart Building tech, AI and robotics to create safer, higher-performing and more human-centric workplace environments. The Technology Ecosystem that will support our autonomous workplace is made up of three layers, starting with digital interfaces such as mobile apps and sensors that occupants will interact with, to integrated data stores, and culminating in AI. The COVID-19 event will accelerate development and wider adoption of automated tools such as these, increasing the ability to improve the performance, management and customizability of buildings and workspaces while improving the health and convenience of the people using them.
FROM EVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION Although we have seen a migration of disconnected traditional technologies transition to a more converged, modern approach, much technology in the workplace has been limited to mass-market acceptance of tools
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with a lower cost of entry, with many available technologies not widely known about or not adopted for a variety of reasons, including the perceptions of prohibitive cost, and privacy issues. After the events of 9/11 people traded privacy for a greater sense of security. We should expect the severity of C-19 event to affect similar tradeoffs, resulting in the evolution rof new building-integrated and consumer technologies, propelling workplace technologies into a “future state” as people trade hesitations for greater feelings of wellness and security. We anticipate a greater desire for technologies that feature convenience to users while delivering performance and management metrics to building owners. Additionally, automation will play a significant role in improving resilience, both for the users by increasing levels of wellness, lowering stress and building greater immunity, and for buildings and spaces by integrating cascading levels of information, enabling the mitigation of harmful events and more effective management and building controls. With all this in mind, we propose five ideas that will drive workplace automation: IDEA 1: “In the Palm of My Hand” – Mobile First The hallmark of the automated experience will be the convenience of marshaling and directing all this technology from your hand, whether via a mobile phone or through biohacking, where access and control will lie literally in the hand of the user. Calendar and location services will provide on-demand recommendations for work settings, whether a conference room or quiet area based on the type of work being done, or the need to collaborate with people who may be in the office or remote.
In addition to increasing employee engagement by communicating events and providing real-time reminders, phones will provide access to important employee documents, and deploy surveys on workspaces, new work initiatives, on-boarding, training and social activities to enhance interpersonal connection in the workplace. Last, no more badges, access cards or codes. Users will access spaces by deploying near-field communication (NFC), a contact-less technology designed to work across short distances, on their phones, or by scanning QR codes for facilities services, ad-hoc conference room reservations, and tech manuals for equipment. IDEA 2: “At My Beck and Call” – Automated Convenience A highly desirable feature of these technologies is the ability to expand the automated universe through intuitive design features for the user, making ease of use convenient and second-nature. Applets that integrate disparate devices will create a more seamless and holistic experience, all but eliminating the lack of continuity in workflows and other operations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning will continuously improve performance by updating algorithms as they process information. Functions will be integrated using technologies that are similar to real-time traffic routing technologies, allowing people to reserve a spot in an elevator (a choke point post-COVID-19) and reminding them when it’s time to leave to catch it. The convenience of palm-controlled automation will enable access to location-aware services for real-time campus info, like finding available parking and then dropping cars off at a fully automated parking deck. This will increase security for users by eliminating the need
